The government is developing an experimental AI tool it claims will allow councils to make more informed – and faster – planning decisions by digitising old documents.
Information ‘locked away’ in PDFs scans and paper documents is extracted by the AI tool and converted into machine-readable, shareable data. The process is said to take seconds, rather than hours to complete.
According to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), many councils still use paper documents and scanned PDFs, slowing down the planning process – resulting in backlogs, inefficiencies, and wasted resources.
However, it says that AI could be used to increase the availability of planning data, allowing councils to make more informed planning decisions faster, and so support the government’s aim to drive growth across the country and build 1.5m million homes in this parliament.
It’s claimed the new generative AI tool, which is currently in early testing, will turn old planning documents, including blurry maps and handwritten notes, into clear, digital data in just 40 seconds. This marks a drastic reduction on the one to two hours it typically takes planners.
By pulling key information from thousands of files, the tool is said to help cut delays, reduce errors in data, and speed up planning decisions.
Peter Kyle, technology secretary, said: “The UK’s planning system has been held back for too long by outdated paper documents, slow processes, making it nearly impossible for councils to make informed decisions quickly.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re using the power of AI to transform sluggish systems so we can start to rebuild. With Extract, councils will have access to better quality data so they can move more quickly on planning decisions and get on with driving growth.
“Technology like this could be a vital step towards councils meeting targets to help build the 1.5m new homes the country needs, all while updating and improving the planning system for the future.”
Matthew Pennycook, the housing and planning minister, added: “To kickstart economic growth and achieve the government’s ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 m new homes in this Parliament, we need local planning authorities to be making informed decisions faster.
“By harnessing new technology like Extract, we can tackle backlogs, inefficiencies and waste and ensure councils are focusing precious time and resources on efficiently determining applications to build new homes.”
The tool is currently being tested and could be available to councils later this year, DSIT says. It is also said to offer potential applications across the public sector because location-specific data is used to deliver services and inform government policy and decisions across departments.
Image credit: Eglantine Shala from Pixabay
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